"This opens up a number of new geographies, and we are already looking at future opportunities with our partners..." he added.

The technical capacity to allow wind farms to float further out to sea opens up the possibility of faster development for the clean technology, which has often been slowed by public opposition to building giant turbines near homes or at picturesque locations.

Aberdeenshire is no stranger to public opposition to offshore wind farm projects, with US President Donald Trump trying unsuccessfully to get British courts to block construction of turbines visible from his golf course.

The Hywind project includes a 1MWh lithium battery known as Batwind to overcome the challenge many clean energy projects have of storing energy produced at times of low demand.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Hywind would help Scotland meet its "ambitious climate change targets". Many countries plan to rely heavily on to reduce their use of dirty fuels for power generation.

Together with the battery project, the wind farm "puts us at the forefront of this global race and positions Scotland as a world centre for energy innovation," she said.